More than Just a Mate
by voodooladyshaladee
Summary: The Doctor has accident that leaves him facing a long recovery from a spinal injury, Donna becomes his carer and he begins to appreciate the intimate side of all she does for him, as Donna starts to realise the Doctor is not so 'alien' after all - but can he fall in love again after Rose, and will Donna's tender loving care be enough to help him regain the ability to make love?
1. Chapter 1

**More than Just a Mate**

 **Author Note: This fic is AU and pairs the Tenth Doctor with Donna.**

 **Summary:**

 **After taking some time out at an alien resort to relax with Donna, the Doctor takes her on a shuttle flight intending to view some mountains on a nearby planet – but disaster strikes when the shuttle crashes on the runway on attempting take off. Donna wanders about the wreckage in a daze, calling to the Doctor to help the people who are scattered at the crash site – until she realises he is one of the wounded.**

 **Later, after having her cuts and bruises treated, Donna is shocked to learn the Doctor's back was broken in the crash, and despite the fact that they are on a planet with advanced medical techniques, she is told the Doctor will face a long recovery, taking as long as possibly five years – _if_ the procedure is successful, only time will tell, and his chance of complete recovery stands at 60%.**

 **When the Doctor regains consciousness and realises he is paralysed from the waist down and may never recover, he takes the news very badly – until his best mate Donna reminds him how lucky he is to have survived the crash. Thanks to the treatment to accelerate part of the healing process, the Doctor is soon able to leave hospital and go back to the Tardis, although he is now confined to a wheelchair - and he tells Donna he is taking her home, because to expect her to care for him would not be fair.**

 **But Donna, who knows the Doctor can't cope alone, reminds him that he needs a nurse- and then reminds him she is more than qualified to care for him, because she once trained to be a nurse, but gave it up for office work at a time when her family was in crisis, because the pay was better. _Then she also reminds him she is his best mate, and mates don't leave each other at a time like this..._**

 **The Doctor agrees to allow her to help him – despite the fact that he is struggling to accept his disability and the thought of his close friend helping him in both practical and intimate ways – especially the intimate ones, due to the fact that his injured spine has left him not only unable to walk but unable to control his bladder, and also has taken away much of the feeling in his groin, making him secretly fear he will never make love again.**

 **Then Donna, who once swore she would never fall for the TimeLord because he is an alien, begins to realise that the Doctor is so much more _'human'_ than she realised - the aftermath of the crash is making her see him in a whole new light that is bringing her closer to him, as she realises there is nothing remotely ' _alien'_ about the man whose body she has now come to know so well - and the Doctor begins to realise too that Donna could be so much more than a best mate – but can he bring himself to tell her that, after living so long in the shadow of his loss of Rose Tyler?**

 **Rated M**

 **Warnings: Lots! Whump,Medical fetish, mention of intimate personal care, disability, paralysis, incontinence, nurse/patient romance, some talk of mortality and depression, some erotica, sex/lovemaking (mainly focussed on oral), naughty talk and lots of emotional and heavy romantic content tons of H/C too.**

 **Don't like? Don't read.**

 **Don't come to me complaining you don't like the fic - if its not your thing - read something else.**

 **You have been warned!**

 **Voodoo Lady has made it clear!**

 ** _If on the other hand, this fic IS your cup of tea, please read on – and welcome to my fictional worlds :-)_**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from my own kinked imagination.**

Chapter 1

Donna was sure she had been caught up in nothing more than a horrible nightmare if not for the fact that she ached all over and could smell death and fire and scorched metal in the air.

She stood there feeling alone as if the rest of this planet had slipped away and there was just her and the burning wreckage. The warm air was heated too much by the fire from the back of the shuttle – it was behind her at some distance away, she looked back, and as her long hair whipped out behind her over her torn jacket she thought how it almost matched the colours of the flames. So pretty, but so ugly with the stink of death and cries of the wounded in the air.

 _She was waking up now._

Donna blinked.

At the back of her mind as she took in the sight of the scattered pieces of the shuttle and the bodies strewn about the runway, an odd thought ran through her mind that if she had a bit more smoke to darken the ends of her hair and there was no death or disaster here, maybe this would have made a _great_ back drop for an '80s pop video...

 _But this was real._

She knew it was real as she stumbled over a dead body – what was left of it – and looked up into the distance through smoke and shimmering tarmac as emergency services raced to the scene to help those who were still alive.

Others were stumbling out of the main body of the shuttle now, some bruised and bleeding,others dazed like her...

 _And it wasn't meant to be like this._

 _The Doctor had taken her to this planet for a holiday, it was a future Earth colony planet and beautiful. He had booked them a flight on a shuttle to see mountains on a nearby world...She hadn't wanted to go at first, but then she had remembered what had happened last time they had been away on a holiday break and he had taken a shuttle flight without her. It had seemed better to go with him this time, just in case anything went wrong...  
_

She turned her head again, coughed as she staggered through smoke and it stung at her eyes. She wiped her stinging eyes with the back of her hand and then realised the back of her hand was bleeding.

Donna struggled to recall what had happened:

" _You'll love this," the Doctor had said to her as he put on his seatbelt as the engines had started up, "I told you there's so much to see. You'll love the mountain range – it extends across the whole of the planet and it's only four hours from here -"_

" _Excuse me," a stewardess had said, pausing at her seat and looking to her and the Doctor, who was sat beside the window, "Would you or your husband like a brochure about the tour?"_

" _No we're not married," the Doctor had said, and Donna had waved away the brochure._

" _No, no, not married. Just mates..."_

 _How many times had they both said that before?_

 _She had lost count..._

Donna coughed again in the smoke.

The rest of it had come back to her now:

 _The engines had roared into life, the shuttle had sped up down the runway and began to lift from the ground. Then there had been a loud crack and a boom that had sent hot air rushing through the shuttle. Donna had remembered everything being torn apart, as if the shuttle had broken in half..._

 _She had turned her head as the cabin had split, caught a flash of alarm in the Doctor's dark eyes. She had not been able to measure that moment, but it had seemed to last much longer than it did as she looked at him and wanted to say, 'Were going to die!This thing is going to crash!'_

 _It was as if the Doctor had read her mind._

" _I'm sorry!" he had yelled above the screech of tearing metal, and he had grabbed her hand – then they had been pulled part as the shuttle broke up..._

Donna's side was aching and felt bruised. She guessed her belt must have snapped...

She heard more cries for help and looked to the front half of the shuttle. Survivors were helping the wounded out. For a moment the thought ran through her head:

 _Why didn't you get seats at the front instead of in the middle, Doctor?_

 _No, that was a stupid thought._

 _No one could have expected this to happen..._

Then it hit her that she couldn't see the Doctor amongst those who were staggering away from the wreckage,

" _Doctor?"_ she called, and then she turned again, feeling dizzy as more smoke drifted over.

She called to him again, and it was then she caught sight of a man lying on the ground close to some torn metal and some shattered seating that had lie broken on the runway,and she recognised him at once.

" _Doctor!"_ she called again, and ran through the smoke and dodged debris, then she fell to her knees beside the Doctor, who was on his side and unconscious. His brown suit was torn and his long coat was marked by smoke. Blood ran from a cut to his head and soaked through his dark hair and streaked down his cheek. His eyes were closed and he did not stir even as more blood ran over his eyelid and through his lashes and continued to trickle down his face. He was sprawled at a painful angle, too – but Donna knew better than to try and move him.

"Doctor?" she said, and he gave no response.

Then she looked over her shoulder and saw rescue workers were now closer as more emergency vehicles moved in.

She waved at them.

" _Over here!"_ she yelled, _"Hurry up, he needs help!"_

* * *

 **Six hours later:**

Donna had let them treat her cuts and bruises, even though all it had really consisted of was cleaning her up and scanning with a handheld device to check her for fractures, of which she was clear.

Then she had waited and waited.

As the time went on, her worry increased.

She turned her head and looked out the window at the sight of the sea close by, rolling to a beach where the sand caught the sun and glinted as if filled with tiny diamonds. This planet was beautiful, this had been meant to be a break, a chance to get away with her best mate and have a lovely time.

Now she struggled to find anything remotely lovely about this planet...

She had already heard others talking while she had been waiting, saying something about a crack in the insulation that was linked to the fuel. Something about heat and pressure causing the shuttle to break apart. And there had been mentions of compensation.

Donna didn't doubt the pay out would be hefty and deserved because the flight company was to blame – but it didn't mean much to her, not until she knew the Doctor was going to be okay. And she wasn't sure that he was, because the medics who had scanned him had told her his injuries seemed serious. Donna had written that off as an assumption that they didn't know anything about his species. It was never far from her mind that her best friend was an alien...

She thought back again to how many times that subject had come up:

 _Too many._

Then she thought of how she had seen him lying there on the runway after the crash. He had looked human then, because he looked broken, and humans were easily broken. She had expected him _not_ to be hurt, because he was alien... _What a mistake that had been_. Of _course_ he was hurt, he'd been in a crash that had seen a shuttle break in half. It was starting to become obvious now, because this was a planet many thousands of years ahead of the Earth that she knew – this place was medically advanced, yet even in a hospital here in the future, they had been working on him for six hours...

 _Six bloody hours._

Donna gave a heavy sigh and ran her fingers through her long red hair, as she did so she caught the stink of smoke and fire that still clung to her. She wanted to go back to the Tardis and have a shower and change her clothing.

But she couldn't leave until she knew the Doctor was okay...

She looked down at the polished floor and rubbed the back of her neck, trying in vain to rub away the ache she had felt ever since the shuttle had ripped apart.

"Donna Noble?"

She looked up to see a female medic standing over her.

"How is he?" she said as she got up.

"You can see him now, please come with me," the woman said, and then as she reflected on the scale of the tragedy, her lined face seemed so much older, as her tied back grey streaked hair caught the light and she shook her head.

"There have been so many deaths today. All because the shuttle company don't carry out enough safety checks. It's scandalous. The Doctor, is he your husband?"

They were walking up the corridor now.

"We're just friends," Donna replied as worry crept into her voice, "Close friends."

And the woman in the white coat paused by a door as they reached the end of the corridor and looked into her eyes.

"Your friend has come out of this rather badly."

"How badly?"

"He had a lower back injury, his spine was broken and partly severed the spinal cord. He may never walk again."

Donna stared at her in disbelief.

" _He's paralysed?"_

"I can show you the scan results, then you'll understand," she replied, and she opened the door and Donna followed her inside.

* * *

As they entered the room and Donna saw the Doctor in a bed with sheets folded to his waist and bruises all over his body, she folded her arms and glared at the medic.

"Okay," she said quietly, "So far all I've had from you is your blunt attitude about saying he's broken his back like it's no big deal. You could have told me a little more carefully, just because I'm only a friend doesn't mean I don't care for him!"

The woman paused.

"Miss Noble, it would be hard for you to understand in medical terms as you lack understanding. It would be better to show you the scan results post surgery."

And she went over to a light box on the wall and switched it on, showing up a scan of the Doctor's lower back.

"The Doctor had many fractures caused by the accident. They have all been artificiality sealed and are currently healing well from within, hence the bruises. His spine was reconnected and also sealed," she indicated to a small, dark area deep in his spine, "We were able to fill the damaged part of the spinal cord with a substance that will encourage the spinal cord to re grow and join back together. This process could take up to five years, depending on how his species responds to the treatment. He will have limited sensation in his lower body until the treatment is complete and the success rate is sixty percent. Due to the acceleration of the healing to the worst of the injuries, he will be able to leave within forty eight hours – are you thinking of staying on here or returning to your home planet? Because if you are considering staying, he will need to employ a nurse to attend to his needs. He's going to be in a wheelchair for a long time and the paralysis and lack of sensation in certain areas will make his life very difficult. I can arrange for an agency to send someone over once you have decided where you will be staying -"

Donna held up her hand.

"That's enough, thanks. Firstly, it's up to the Doctor, _not_ me. We travelled here in his ship and I don't think he will want to stay. And as for hiring a nurse, that won't be necessary."

"But he is partially paralysed," she reminded her, "You must grasp the fact that until the time comes - _if_ the time comes – that his healing is complete, until that happens, his injuries are life changing and -"

"Just listen to me for a minute," Donna replied, and then she looked to the scan result.

"I have already explained in a way that you will understand, given your limited knowledge," the woman said to her.

She shot her a look that clearly said, _I don't think so,_ and then Donna indicated to the scan:

"Lower lumbar damage radiating into the supra sacral spinal cord. So not much movement or sensation in his legs and due the way the lower part of the spine is affected. I'd say he's in spinal shock, meaning his water works will be affected too – incontinence because he can't feel or control his bladder. So he's going to need a catheter for a few months, hopefully after that if your _super clever future world space age treatment_ works, he should get the control back, although the feeling and movement in his legs could take much longer due to the nature of the injury. Am I making sense now?"

The female medic looked at her in surprise.

"What? " Donna said, "Don't I look _smart_ enough to understand this? A long time ago, I once trained to be a nurse, but the pay was lousy and my mum got ill and I had to go back to office work to help with the mortgage. I ended up sticking with office work - but I _still_ remember all I learned about nursing. Any questions?"

The medic shook her head.

"Good," Donna replied, "Now, enough about me and the tale of going from nurse to super temp...I think I'm right in saying this will hurt like hell? I mean, if he's healing from the inside as nerves reconnect that's going to be painful. And I mean, _painful_! What's your plan to handle that?"

The woman hesitated.

Donna felt like her patience was wearing thin:

 _So much for this future world being all bright and clever.._

"The Doctor is an alien species and we are not sure how to best proceed with regard to pain control."

Donna rolled her eyes.

"Oh _please_... you don't know how stupid that sounds! He needs low dose morphine, just to take the edge off the worst of it. Anything more would mask the return of sensation as the nerves heal. Don't you know anything?"

"Clearly you know enough," the woman replied, "Please instruct me."

"My instructions are, we do nothing, make no decisions until the Doctor wakes up, because it's his life and _he_ has to make the choices. You don't seem to hold much respect for consent or next of kin around here, I haven't once been asked to sign anything on his behalf and I don't care if that's your way around here, I think that stinks! So for now, we _wait,_ okay?"

She nodded.

"I shall return in a while. He should be waking soon."

And the medic turned away and headed for the door.

Donna's eyes flashed with anger.

"Yeah, off you go. Leave _me_ to tell him he's paralysed from the waist down!"

And then she turned back towards the bed, and met with the Doctor's gaze. He was looking at her with a flash of panic in his dark eyes.

"How long have you been awake?" she said in a hushed voice.

The Doctor blinked away tears as he struggled to move his legs and found it impossible, because more than half the feeling was gone from below his waist.

"Long enough," he replied as emotion choked his voice.

Donna's jaw briefly dropped as she looked at him in alarm:

 _Oh god no, he had just heard everything that had been said about him._

 _What a way to find out..._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Donna took a seat next to the Doctor's bed.

"You heard _everything_? Did you understand -"

"What do you think? Of _course_ I did!" he snapped as he fought to hold back his tears, "Spinal damage... they _treated_ it...filled it with an artificial growth stimulant to rejoin the cord...meaning I _can't_ mess with that to try and attempt self healing until its absorbed, because that substance could turn volatile in my system in the process! So I have to sit back and wait for it to work – or not! _Why_ did you let them do this to me?"

He was angry, and she hadn't expected that.

"I didn't know!" Donna exclaimed, "I was waiting to come and see you, I thought if they were going to operate they would have at least told me first, but no, not around here – different rules!"

The Doctor briefly closed his eyes as he drew in a breath, letting it out slowly as he fought to regain his composure.

"I might not recover from this! I could be dead from the waist down forever!"

Then he paused, took a heavy breath and blinked as tears ran down his face.

" _It would have been better if I'd died. At least then I would have regenerated, I wouldn't be stuck like this!"_

Donna brushed a tear from his cheek. He raised his hand to push her away and she caught it in her grip, and noticed the Doctor was trembling. As her gaze locked with his, she tried not to think about the fact that he seemed utterly broken, because he needed pulling back from this fast.

"No, it wouldn't have been better if you died! A _lot_ of people _did_ die today – and they won't be regenerating because they were human! And what makes you think ending this life would have helped? You don't know what your next life will be like, and why should you think about that? _You're still here!_ "

"I can't walk. I can't feel much at all...or any where,not my legs or... down there..."

And then he felt awkward to say more, but Donna got it.

"Oh right, you're worried about your groin. Well that numbness will go away, it's just going to take time. I can't say how much feeling you'll get back, but there will be some. And don't even _think_ about a sex life – you didn't have one before the accident, why worry now?"

And she hoped as she looked at him he would get that she was making light of it, but sorrow shaded his eyes as he met her gaze.

"I know what you're trying to do but it won't work, Donna. I'm not going to lighten up over this! I'm stuck in a damaged body and if the treatment they gave me doesn't work, I could be like this for the rest of my regeneration – that could be a _very_ long time!"

"There's a sixty percent chance you will recover," she reminded him, "That's something to think about."

"And what about the other forty percent?"

"Oh, _sod_ the other forty percent! You have to get on with life. And you're not on your own."

" _Yes I am."_

The Doctor looked away from her for a moment, focussing on the wall as he gave pause for his words to sink in.

"You don't mean that."

Donna had spoken softly, but as he looked back at her the look in his eyes had hardened.

"Donna, I can't fly the Tardis from a wheelchair. "

"I can help!"

"I don't think you would be able to work the controls as quickly and with as much understanding as me in the event of a crisis. And you know it's rarely quiet out there, you _know_ how it can get! I can program the Tardis to take you home and then it can return to me. I'll have to stay here. I don't know how long for, but I doubt it will take five years – once the nerves are reconnected and the fluid they patched my spine with is properly absorbed I can work on my own healing - and it shouldn't take long to improve my chances of a recovery. But I don't know what that recovery will mean and right now, none of this is fair on you! I know you said you can look after me but it's the last thing I would want for you. It wouldn't be fair."

Donna gave his hand a squeeze.

"Do you _really_ think I'd leave you at a time like this? And would you really want me to? Best mates don't do that, Doctor. You need me? I'm here."

The anger was fading from his eyes now.

"If you stay, you'll be looking after a very difficult patient who hates being stuck in a wheelchair. I'll do nothing but complain. And I can't even begin to imagine you taking care of the more intimate side of things...We're both going to hate that."

"You're probably right. I'd better go back to the Tardis and get cleaned up, then. And you need to hurry up and get out of here if you're taking me home."

The Doctor's eyes widened.

"You want to go?"

Donna shrugged.

"Yeah, why not? I'll just go back home and leave you to it. I mean, it used to be fun, but its not any more, not with you like this. I might as well clear off."

And then the look in her eyes filled with warmth as she started to smile.

"As if I'd do that to you! For a clever spaceman you really are thick sometimes! Of _course_ I'm not leaving you!"

And she leant closer, looking into his eyes.

"Dumbo," she said affectionately, "I'm not going any where!"

The Doctor tried to smile but crumbled as tears filled his eyes.

"Thanks," he said as his voice started to shake, _"I can't do this on my own...I'm so scared, Donna!_ "

And as he held her and started to weep she held him tightly, taking care not to brush against a newly sealed scar on the side of his head. As she stroked his hair hoped she wasn't squeezing too tight because of his many bruises. He wept with his head against her shoulder, and she let him weep, saying nothing as he sobbed quietly as he clung to her.

* * *

 _Crying had helped._

It wasn't long before the Doctor let go of her and this time didn't try to push her away as she wiped off his tears with a soft brush of her fingertip. He looked up at her and thought of all the times they had spent together, how their friendship had grown stronger, and wondered what would happen to it now his life had changed.

Then he watched as her gaze shifted across his chest and shoulders.

The thought that Donna was admiring his body at a time like this seemed odd...

 _Donna? His best mate, looking at him in that way?_

 _He wondered why the thought wasn't so alarming all of a sudden..._

 _Maybe it never had been._

 _Their friendship had been based on the fact that they were just mates._

 _He had assumed it would stay that way..._

 _Then he remembered he was partly paralysed, and as for making love, he couldn't even feel to pee, let alone get it up..._

 _And that thought made everything come crashing down again._

"Don't look at me like that," he said quickly, "I mean it – don't!"

Donna noticed the discomfort in his expression.

"I was just looking at your bruises," she said, "I swear they don't look as deep as they did half an hour ago..."

She placed her hand on his shoulder and ran it gently to the centre of his chest and then back again. As her palm brushed his nipple for a second time he caught his breath.

"You have no idea how sensitive my chest is now I can't feel anything below my waist. Don't do _that_ again, either!"

Donna couldn't help smiling as she noticed his face start to flush.

"Calm down, Doctor! You know the score with me...I told you a long time ago, I'm _not_ mating with you, sunshine! And I'm sure there has to be a law against it...human and TimeLord? I mean, two different species...it seems _so_ wrong!"

" _It's not."_

"Not what?"

"Wrong, and there are no laws against it," he said quietly, "And I don't need to be thinking about the things I can't do any more, okay?"

He knew he had spoken sharply, but he was feeling the loss of his own ability sharply and crying had felt almost like a process of grieving for those losses.

Donna shifted her seat closer to his bedside.

"Mind if I take a look at the rest of you?"

She saw a flash of alarm in his eyes.

" _Why?"_

She gave a sigh.

"I'm going to be looking after you when you get out of here, it would help to know what you can and can't feel."

He looked up at her.

"Okay," he said reluctantly, "But be quick – I want to get some rest. And don't get your hopes up about the bruises fading out. It's partly my own natural healing taking place and the artificial closure of the fractures. It means _nothing_ for the spine injury, the rest is more or less superficial."

As she looked into his eyes, she saw that he seemed resigned now to the fact that being stuck like this for the rest of his days could be a real possibility.

"Don't think like that," she said to him, "The bruises are fading – you say it's not important, I say it's a _good_ sign."

Then she slowly ran her hand down his body, stopping at his waist.

"So everything above here is fine?"

He nodded.

"And maybe you should do this another time -"

"I won't be long. I just need to turn the covers back."

The Doctor took in a sharp breath and closed his eyes tightly, fully aware that Donna was taking in the sight of the rest of him – below his waist, everything he could barely feel...

"Can you feel that?" she asked, running her hand from hip to hip as she tried not to look below his dark pubic hair until she needed to.

"Some...it's a bit numb, gets worse as you go down...there's no need to go any further."

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

He couldn't feel her hand now, but suddenly he knew it was there as he caught the vague sensation of her touching his thigh.

"I can feel that... but not the other side. Right side feels like it's not there."

"And what about your legs and feet?"

"Very little on the right side... patches of feeling. Left side isn't so bad, just feels heavy... _Oi, stop that!_ "

His tone had changed to one of annoyance, and Donna met his gaze.

"What?"

" _Stop looking at my cock!"_

She couldn't help smiling as she covered him up to his waist again.

"I was just looking at your tube."

"That''s even worse!"

Now Donna was giggling.

"Oh, stop it! I just wanted to see if they use the kind of catheters I'm familiar with, and they do. Stop being embarrassed, Doctor, it's only waterworks."

" _That doesn't make you my plumber!"_

"Yes it does, I'll be changing it for you. Don't worry, I know how to do it!"

The Doctor felt a flicker of alarm.

"I really don't want to be attached to _anything_ down there."

"But you don't want to wet the bed either?" Donna remarked.

He gave a sigh.

"I really don't want to think about that!"

"Well, until you get enough feeling back to control it, you don't have a choice. I can put a rubber sheet on your bed but there's no way I'm changing the sheets every single time you spring a leak, I'd be at it all day long!"

Donna sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I've seen your scan results. You're more likely to have trouble walking than lasting incontinence. It's called spinal shock. It can last for a few weeks or months and then slowly go away – or it might happen faster for you. Don't think of that problem as permanent. Worry more about your legs, because that's where the lasting damage – if it _is_ lasting – will be. That's the truth, Doctor. You know I wouldn't lie to you."

"How would you know? You didn't even manage to qualify as a nurse, I heard what you said. You could be guessing. Or trying to make me feel slightly better."

"Better? I would have thought _walking_ was more important than...Oh, you _know_ what I mean! And I _do_ know what I'm talking about! I'm not an expert, Doctor, but I do remember everything I learned back then. You'll just have to trust me, okay?"

He looked at her fondly and managed a faint smile.

" _I do trust you,"_ he promised her.

* * *

Three days passed.

True to what the medic had told her, the Doctor now seemed well enough leave the hospital, and in the time it had taken for him to regain enough strength to leave, he and Donna had made some choices.

There had been much talking and a great deal of thought about the immediate future. The Doctor knew he could no longer fly the Tardis, not while he was unable to walk. And so he had asked Donna how she felt about remaining on the planet. He couldn't say how long they would be stuck there, but Donna didn't want to say too much about that – the thought of never returning to Earth and seeing her family again wrenched at her heart, but after all she had been through with the Doctor, walking away was not a choice. This was a decision she had made much in the spirit of the day she had joined her hand with his to bring about the destruction of Pompeii – it had been Pompeii or the whole world, and she had not wanted him to take the weight of that on his shoulders alone.

It was as simple as that:

 _They stuck together._

 _Through the good, bad and the bloody terrible._

 _And she wasn't going to leave him now._

Donna had found them a place to live – a single level beach house that overlooked the ocean on a private strip of beach. The money to pay for it had come from a rapid compensation payout, which by law, had to be handed out to victims of disasters within forty-eight hours. The Doctor had received ten million credits. Donna had been disappointed to find she only had five thousand in her account, because apparently, walking away uninjured wasn't very profitable at all...

But the new place was furnished and comfortable and had everything they needed. Donna had sorted it all out, even going shopping to stock the kitchen before she collected the Doctor from the hospital. She had already moved in the day before, made the light and airy bedroom look as comfortable as possible. The _only_ bedroom. Obviously, it would be the Doctor's room, but she didn't mind because there was a sofa in the front room that was huge and every morning when she woke up she would look out at a view of the ocean.

Donna had spent the whole morning making the place look as comfortable and welcoming as she could, even placing a vase of roses next to the Doctor's bed.

But it didn't change the fact that it looked like a hospital room, his medications were stored next to the bed, there were pills for pain, pills to help him sleep, and a cupboard on the other side of the room was filled with disposable paper towels, lubricant and latex gloves, sterile packs of disposable tubes and she _really_ didn't want him to see how many of those she had, because he could be needing a catheter for a long time... And then there were the packs of pre loaded syringes filled with low dose morphine shots for when his nerve endings began to repair and the pain started to hit...the list just went on...

 _This wasn't going to be easy._

But at least the room didn't smell like a hospital, and the sea breeze shifted in through sheer nets that sighed in and out and carried in the scent of the summer mixed with the salt from the waves. The sound of the ocean was soothing and she was sure the Doctor would appreciate it. The bedroom had double glass doors that opened up on to a balcony, and through that gateway set into it, was a slope that led down to the place where there was a path between the sea grass and colourful wild flowers that led down to the beach.

She hoped this place was perfect for him. It seemed to be, she had looked at several properties before deciding on this one. Now all that was left to do was drive over to the hospital and pick up the Doctor and take him home – she had to think of this place as home, and she was yet to call her family and explain she could be gone for a very long time, because the thought of it was too painful, but she knew she couldn't put off that call much longer...

Satisfied the house as in order, Donna grabbed her car keys and headed back to the car, feeling happier to know she was now ready to bring the Doctor home.

* * *

When Donna arrived at the hospital, she caught sight of herself reflected in the polished glass doors, and liked what she saw:

She was wearing a white cotton dress with some beads she had picked up whist shopping – she had no idea if they were something local, but they caught the light much like the sand and sparkly pebbles she had seen on the beach. The stones were tiny, and multi coloured. Her new shoes had chunky heels and she couldn't decide if they were comfortable or not because they were new, but so far her only therapy to get through this worrying time had been via retail, and she guessed it would stay that way, because she didn't feel she had the right to complain or fret about anything she had been through, not even the crash, because it was so much worse for the Doctor...

For a moment Donna stopped walking, as an unexpected thought came to mind:

 _She had thought of the Doctor, and her heart had ached for him sharply, so sharply she had blinked tears from her eyes._

Donna put her hand to her chest and drew in a deep breath.

" _Oh stop it, Donna!"_ she muttered, feeling sure that lately, life had been way too traumatic and emotional...

Deep breath taken, Donna Noble walked into the hospital, pushing aside the sudden wave of emotion that had taken her so unexpectedly. Her mind was set now, this was a new start:

 _Not the kind of start she would have wanted for either of them, but she was going to get on with it, and no matter how it turned out, she would get the Doctor through this, they would get through it together..._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What do you think? It's not so bad, is it..."

And the Doctor smiled brightly as he looked up from his chair and met Donna's gaze.

She was still feeling slightly shocked that such deep and unexpected feelings could have hit her with the force of a runaway train as she had walked into the building, thought of him and...

What _was_ that feeling that had hit her? It had knocked the breath from her body and left her feeling overwhelmed for a moment.

But she didn't want to think about that now, because another emotion was overwhelming her and she was doing her best to hide it as she smiled and the Doctor sat comfortably in the black padded leather chair, then paused to press a button and shifted the chair closer to her.

"It's top of the range and really comfortable!" he exclaimed.

Donna forced a smile. Inside, her heart was breaking, and it seemed crazy that she was feeling this way, because she completely understood what was going on – she _knew_ the score, she had planned for everything – and yet seeing the Doctor in a wheelchair for the first time was making her feel as if her heart was in pieces...

He was dressed in a suit she had brought from the Tardis the day before. His hair looked fantastic and he had combed it to cover the thin line on the side of his head where the wound had been sealed. He didn't even look sad any more. She wanted to think he had finally pulled himself together and was feeling optimistic now, but it would have been naive to think that, because he was doing this for her, just so she thought he was, for now, feeling okay.

 _Of course he wasn't, not really..._

She swallowed down a lump in her throat as she wished her emotions would stop ambushing her like this.

"Come on," she said to him, "Let's go home."

* * *

" _I love this place!"_

The Doctor hit a button and turned his chair with ease and looked to the view of the sea and then back to Donna.

"It's perfect! The doorways are nice and wide, the floors are all flat and polished, I can get about easily...and I _love_ the view! Well done."

He smiled and his eyes sparkled and she wondered how he could make the effort to put a brave face on it after all that had happened.

As she looked at him, his smile faded.

He knew Donna too well. It had been worth a shot, purely to cheer her up, but it wasn't working. She had seen through his act.

"Okay, so I'm _not_ happy. But I'm trying to be."

"You don't have to do that. Just be honest with me."

He gave a sigh, pausing to look down at his legs as he thought about the useless part of his body and wished he could just stop thinking of himself as only half there.

"If I did that I'd have you telling me to snap out of it again."

Then he met her gaze.

"Not much point in that."

Sadness shaded his dark eyes and Donna stepped closer, leaning over his chair. Her long red hair brushed the shoulder of his jacket and he glanced at it, then reached up and ran his fingers through silky strands.

Their eyes met again.

"What?" said Donna.

"Thanks for doing this for me," he said quietly, "It means a lot."

She smiled.

"Don't be silly! That's what a best mate does, helps out when you need it!"

And she put her arms around him and hugged him. The Doctor held on to her, his face pressed against the silky curtain of flame red hair that carried the scent of a light shampoo. He didn't want to let go, because since the accident, the feel of her arms around him had meant safety, so much more safety that Donna realised, but he did let go, and then she straightened up, and she glanced about the room again.

"But you do like it?"

"Yes, it's nice."

"Have you seen your bedroom yet?"

"Yes I did - but not yours."

"It's a one bed place. I had to grab something quick and this was the only one available that would have been okay for wheelchair access," and she indicated to the sofa by the window, " But that sofa is _so_ comfortable, though! I could sleep on it all day and night!"

He looked at her doubtfully.

"Are you sure?"

Donna smiled.

"Yes, now stop worrying about me! And you're supposed to be getting a lot of bed rest, I want you out of that chair and back in bed, Doctor!"

"I thought you might say that!"

* * *

The Doctor reluctantly pushed a button and drove the chair through to the hallway and down to the end of it, where the door to the bedroom was open. The Doctor stopped the chair beside the bed and looked to Donna as she followed him into the room.

"I'm going to need some help," he told her, "I can't even untie my own shoe laces."

Understanding reflected in her eyes.

"I know," she said softly, and she walked over to him and knelt on the floor and began to do it for him. He looked down at her as she took off his shoes.

A thought came to mind that if only he had realised just how much she cared for him before this had happened...

 _Was he falling in love with Donna?_

 _The Doctor didn't know._

All he did know for sure was that as she knelt in front of him he hated his numb and unresponsive body as he wished things could be different:

 _If only his injuries had not affected his groin._

 _He was picturing her taking him in her mouth, him leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes as he lost himself in a moment that was beautiful, a moment that let him forget everything but what she was doing and how it was making him feel. In his imagination, his hand slid through her hair as he pushed her on to him, making her take him deeper and she sucked him so well he felt trapped in a sweet heaven of wetness and sliding suction as his balls started to go tight..._

Then those thoughts were dashed away as Donna got up.

"Okay," she said, let's get you undressed, then I need to change your catheter."

"It's only been in for four days!"

"Yes, but that was a temporary one. I've been given the kind that they said is more long term. Once it's in I won't have to change it again for two months. Don't worry, I had a nurse explain to me how it works – it's a bit different to the one you have now, it expands once it's inserted, made of some kind of clever rubber."

The Doctor felt tense and he knew it showed as he looked back at her.

"Its just waterworks!" she reminded him.

He managed a nervous smile.

"And you're just the plumber?"

"That's right, just the plumber," Donna replied, and then she unlocked a bar at the side of his chair and turned it down.

"Put your arms around me and I'll slide you over to the bed."

She caught a look in his eyes.

"Don't try and stand up!" she warned him, "It's too soon!"

"Whatever you say, Nurse Donna," he replied with a faint sparkle in his eyes, and as his arms slid around her, she was suddenly aware of their closeness but said nothing about it, trying not to think too much on it either - because for now, she had a job to do...

* * *

A short while later the Doctor was undressed, Donna had put his suit away in a wardrobe and now the covers were folded off his body and she had parted his legs. He had felt her part them - and she had said that was a good sign - but he had no power of movement even though more feeling was slowly beginning to creep back. As she stood over him, he looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to see what she was doing.

"Might now be a good time to talk about the weather or something?" he remarked, and Donna laughed.

"Don't be silly!"

"And this won't hurt?" he asked anxiously.

"You won't even know I'm there," she promised him.

"Maybe I won't...but I'm getting some feeling back in my legs...maybe it's coming back in other places too..." he paused, wanting to look just to see what was happening to his body, but kept his gaze on the ceiling instead.

"I was wondering if I'm responding faster to the treatment because I'm not human. If I am that means one of two things - either this is as good as it's ever going to get, or I'm starting to recover!"

"I was thinking the same – about you recovering. What they said about five years is based on _human_ statistics. You're not human."

Donna fell silent for a moment as she moved on with the task and took a gloved hand and carefully began to draw the tube from his body. It was then a thought hit her:

 _How could she think of him as alien now? He was nothing like an alien. His body – at least on the outside – looked human..._ And the more she thought about that, the more her choice not to get any closer to him seemed insane.

She wondered if she really _was_ falling in love with her best friend...

"I'm just taking it out," she told him, "Then I'll replace it. Almost there-"

" _Ouch!"_ he yelled, _"Stop it, Donna, that hurts!"_

And his breath became shallow as he tried to fight off a wave of panic.

"That _really_ hurt!"

She looked to him in surprise.

"You couldn't feel a thing down there three days ago."

"Well I can now...get it out and _don't_ put another one in!"

"You'll wet the bed!"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly as the pain eased off.

"Maybe I won't. You said it was spinal shock. Perhaps that doesn't last long in my species. It's not perfect yet, but I can feel something...and I know for the whole time we've been talking, you've been holding my cock. I can just about feel it."

Donna blinked.

"That's wonderful!"

The Doctor started to laugh.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I've never been so happy for you to hold my cock, Donna!"

"Maybe I should do it more often!" she said, and then she laughed too, but quickly stopped as she realised what she had just said.

"Maybe that's not such a bad idea," the Doctor remarked, but his mood was still up and she wasn't sure if he was joking or not, and she didn't want to push her luck because...

Oh, she _did_ love him.

That was what had hit her earlier on,, and what a time to realise it, while he was on his back and she was removing a tube from his body...

Then she remembered the feeling he had regained would make removal of the rest of the tube very uncomfortable.

"Close your eyes and take some deep breaths," she said to him, "I'm going to take it out."

The Doctor screwed his eyes tight shut as every muscle in every part of his body that wasn't paralysed, tensed up.

"Not like _that_ , relax!"

"I can't," he said through gritted teeth, "Just get it over with!"

For one awful moment of blind panic, everything Donna had learned so long ago slipped her mind as she could think of nothing but avoiding more discomfort for the Doctor.

" _Come on Donna,"_ she said under her breath, and then it came back to her.

" _I've drained the bag, deflated the balloon...you've got a pad underneath you in case of leaks..."_

The Doctor looked up at her.

"Now it sounds like a shopping list! I hope you know what you're doing!"

She looked at him apologetically.

"I do, but I didn't know you had some feeling come back. I thought I could just slide it out painlessly. I can't. You need to breathe slowly and relax. As it comes out it _will_ hurt, I'm not going to lie. But it's just a moment of discomfort. Start your deep breathing."

She watched as he took a breath and let it out slowly.

"And again," she said softly.

He obeyed her, and as he began the second out breath, she carefully drew out the catheter. He gave a gasp and pain registered on his face, and then he breathed a relieved sigh.

"All done," Donna said to him, "It's out."

Then as he felt a sensation of wetness he grabbed at a towel next to Donna and quickly placed it between his legs.

"Sorry...I sprung a leak...I'm trying...I think I can...yes...I _can_ stop it..."

And as he kept the towel to his groin and Donna looked at him in surprise, he started to laugh.

"I can feel it... _and_ I can stop and start...Oh, what a relief!"

Donna cleared away the tubing and the other equipment she had placed on the bed, disposing of it in a sealed bin in the corner of the room, where next she placed her latex gloves, and then she grabbed a pen and a note pad and sat down at the Doctor's bedside.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Working it out...you know I'm good with numbers...Okay, human spinal shock can last several weeks. We'll say six to allow for severity...yours lasted three days... that means...forty two days on average for a human, three days for you...so assuming the same applies to the spinal injury, up to five years...nah, cut that down to two because you're not human... seven hundred and thirty days estimated on human recovery with some time taken off because you're alien...apply the same rules as the healing time for the spinal shock and... I reckon your back could be healed within three to six weeks."

The Doctor had managed to push the pillows up behind him and shift into a sitting position as he rested supported by them. He looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

Donna shook her head.

"I can't be, I don't know how effective the filler is inside the spinal cord, and I don't know how things will go when the nerve endings repair. But I'd say what ever happens will be done with six weeks from now. That's my estimate – based on the fact that you're alien and heal faster than humans. Doctor,this could be over soon."

He started to smile.

"I hope you're right. Donna, I think I'm going to get better! I really do, I think it's going to be okay!"

She smiled as she saw a look of pure relief in his eyes, and then she shifted closer to him as he gave her a hug.

"Donna, I'm going to get better!" he exclaimed, and then he kissed her.

The kiss was brief, and then she pulled back, feeling partly stunned and partly amused that she wasn't quite sure what that kiss had meant, and neither had he, going by the slightly confused look in his eyes. Then the moment was gone.

"So we're agreed, then? No more tubes?"

"For now. I'm going to keep an eye on you."

" _On my equipment."_

There was a playful look in his eyes now, and it made her heart glad to see it.

She laughed as she took the towel from between his legs.

"And thanks for grabbing hold of me and squashing me up against a pissy towel, _mister leaky_!"

"Well you are the plumber, can't be the first time you've got wet on a job."

And the Doctor winked.

Donna's heart skipped a beat, but she got up, taking the wet towel with her.

"This needs to go in the wash," she told him, "I'll be back in a minute, then I'll clean you up."

He smiled.

"Thanks, Donna."

She smiled back at him and then left the room.

* * *

The Doctor stayed right where he was, on his back, resting against pillows, suddenly not caring that he was still naked, because he was starting to feel very comfortable to be totally exposed in front of Donna.

 _It was a feeling he was starting to like._

He had already decided, he was going to get used to this and maybe even enjoy it. He wanted her hands on his body, he wanted her to see him like this, too – it felt so comfortable all of a sudden.

 _He knew what that meant._

He had known in a double beat of his twin hearts, and it was something he should have realised long ago. Back then he wasn't ready to accept it, because he still missed Rose. But time had moved on, and it had taken this crisis to make him see what was right in front of him, but he knew for certain what it meant now:

 _He knew he was in love with his best friend..._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As night fell, Donna had no intention of sleeping on the sofa because she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking on all that had happened - nothing had happened really, or had it?

 _That remark about getting wet._

 _The way he had winked at her._

 _But of course, he was happy to know he had seen an improvement in his condition._

 _Maybe that was all it was._

 _Or not._

Donna gave a sigh and got up from the sofa, looked to the blue box in the corner of the room and felt glad the Doctor had managed to use a remote device to recall the Tardis – but it could be a while before they took off in it again...

She wanted to go inside it and be covered by the familiar glow of the console room, because the Tardis had grown on her, it felt like a second home now – but the place would be so empty without the Doctor...

 _But he wasn't far away..._

Her heart filled with warmth as she thought of him, and she pulled her dressing gown tighter about her body as she caught a snap of chill on the sea air, and she paused to close the window, then she left the front room and made her way down the hallway, and when she came to the Doctor's door she found it open. The bedside lamp was on, and the Doctor was sitting up in bed resting against pillows. His face was turned to the window even though the net was down and it seemed to shiver as the cool air passed through it, he was watching it deep in thought, and as she entered the room he turned his head and looked at her.

" _I can't sleep either,"_ he said quietly.

* * *

Donna went over to the window and closed it and then she sat on the edge of the bed and as she looked at him, she wondered if it was just the soft lighting from the lamp, or maybe she was right and the Doctor really _was_ starting to look better.

"Are you cold?"

"No, why?" he asked.

"The breeze was a bit chilly, didn't you notice?"

"I was too busy thinking."

"Good thoughts I hope. I don't want to hear any more negative talk from you, not now the spinal shock has gone"

At the mention of that, the Doctor's face lit up in a bright smile.

"I can pee by myself again!"

She laughed.

"Great, shall I give you a sticker or make you a badge or something?"

"If you like!"

She laughed again and so did he. Then their eyes met and her smile faded as his gaze deepened and they both realised that exchange of a glance had lasted a little longer than it should for two people who were _just mates_.

"But seriously," she said, hating to kill the moment, "I need to ask...waterworks... still working okay? No leaks?"

The Doctor paused for thought.

"Well, now you come to mention it...there _is_ a bit of a drip in the bathroom, I can hear it when I leave the door open...I don't suppose you can fix that, too?"

Donna looked at him fondly.

"I'd give it a go - but I'm more concerned about you."

The look he saw in her eyes made him want to reach for her – but then what? He was thankful he could now control his urine by himself. To hope for sexual function too seemed like hoping for too much too soon. The thought was there in his head, and it worried him that his body was yet to respond, even though he knew he had been through too much to even dare to think about it just yet...

 _It was too late._

 _Donna had spotted the worry in his eyes._

"What is it?" she asked him.

Suddenly it was too much to hold back. He was crying before he could even try to stop himself.

"Doctor?"

Donna shifted closer and put her arm around him, and her closeness made him sob harder as he wiped his eyes and tried to pull his emotions back into some kind of order that would be bearable.

" _I'm scared."_

"Of what?"

He blinked away tears and looked into her eyes.

"When I look at you I start thinking maybe...I don't know if you would even consider... _an alien_...but..."

"Of _course_ I would, dumbo! After everything we've been through, don't you think we've gone a _bit_ further than just mates? I think we passed that mark a long time ago, but maybe we just didn't know about it. Maybe we didn't think about it because were too busy running or saving a planet or trying not to get shot. But we _did_ , you know. We passed that line and didn't even know it."

He had stopped crying now.

"You really think so?"

"Yes."

The Doctor paused for thought.

"But back to what I was saying, I have a reason to be scared."

Amusement danced in her eyes.

"Oh yes you do, I mean, fancying _me_? It's a bit of a leap from Rose...I know you loved her, but Doctor, I'm _not_ young and pretty and blonde, I don't have her dazzling smile, I bet I don't even excite you -"

" _Stop it!"_

"But I mean it," Donna said "I'm _nothing_ like her!"

He had expected the mention of Rose Tyler's name to cause an ache in his twin hearts, and it came as a relief that the ache was not there any more. While it was true he would always love her, he also knew he had to adjust to life without her- and it had been Donna who had been the key to doing just that.

He took hold of her hand as he looked at her, and the love he felt for her took him by surprise.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about yourself like that again, like you're not important!" he said firmly, " _You matter._ And you're beautiful in your own unique way and yes, you're _nothing_ like Rose. I'm glad about that because if you were, I'd have too many comparisons to make! That's why I care for you, because you're unlike anyone I've ever met before, you don't remind me of anyone, you don't make me look backwards - with you, I feel like I'm always looking forward. I still feel that way, even though I'm stuck in that chair, I feel like I have something to look forward to because you're with me!"

She looked at him in surprise.

He had just said all the things she ever wanted him to say, yet until now, had not known how _much_ she had wanted to hear him say it...

Donna leant closer, carefully, slowly,knowing this would be their first real kiss.

As their lips touched he closed his eyes and clung to her as their kiss deepened, and as the lower half of his body refused to ignite with the passion that seemed to course through every nerve in his upper body, he broke off from that kiss, and the sigh of disappointment she breathed on letting go made his hearts ache.

"I love you, Doctor," Donna whispered.

"I love you too - for what it's worth. Can't do anything about it. I may never be able to, that's what I'm scared about. All the time we travelled together, you and me, just mates, I thought it was going to be that way forever. I never looked closely enough, I never stopped to think that one day this would happen – and when it did, it would be too late."

"Too late?" she said in surprise, "It's not too late, there's always other ways!"

"But I'll be _very_ limited."

"That makes no difference to me. I didn't fall in love with your cock, I fell in love with you!"

It was the way she said it that made him smile.

"Oh Donna, come here."

As he reached for her, she climbed on to the bed and lay beside him, feeling warm and so right to be wrapped in his arms.

"Thanks for saying that," he told her, and as she rested her head on his chest, he placed a gentle kiss against her hair. Then she heard him sigh,and as his embrace began to loosen and she felt him give a slight jolt as his muscles relaxed, she looked up and saw he had drifted off to sleep.

She reached over and turned out the light, and then she stayed there, on his bed, in his arms, until the morning light returned.

* * *

The next day began quietly, with no embraces or kisses as the sun rose, no great morning sky streaked with a wakening dawn in many colours to celebrate their love. Instead Donna had woken to the Doctor struggling to sit up as he tried and failed to reach the urinal bottle that was just out of his grasp.

"I've got it," she had said.

" _Quick..."_ he had replied as panic crept into his voice and he struggled to hold back, and then she had held the bottle there as he breathed a relieved sigh, thankful to know that he had managed to sleep the whole night, wake and manage _not_ to wet the bed.

"Sorry about that..." he had said as he struggled to meet her gaze.

"It's only waterworks," she had replied, and then she had got out of bed to empty the bottle.

And that was the start of their first day together after a night when so much had been said that meant so much to both of them.

Then Donna had turned back the sheets and he had closed his eyes,smiling as he enjoyed the sensation of her bathing him as he lay there naked. She had taken her time. But in all that time, he had felt no stirrings of an erection.

When she had dried him off, he looked up at her and smiled.

" _Take it off, Donna."_

As she realised his gaze was fixed on her dressing gown, she hesitated.

"I'm not sure you're ready -"

"I'm not. And I won't be able to get hard yet, either. I just want to see you naked."

His dark gaze was fixed on her.

"Please, just let me see."

Donna untied the belt and let the gown fall to the floor, and he took in the sight of her full breasts and her curves and the soft hair that was neat enough between her legs to give a glimpse of what lie beneath it.

His hearts were pounding and he felt as if his mind was alight with desire, every part of his upper body seemed to have a heightened sense of arousal, and suddenly his lack of response in the healing part of his body didn't seem to matter anymore.

" _Come here..."_

His voice, like his eyes, had darkened with desire, and as she climbed back on to the bed the Doctor placed his hands on her hips, shifted his attention to that place between her legs that he kept thinking about, and then he managed to tear his gaze from it as he looked into her eyes.

"Okay _nurse plumber_ , what do you suggest?"

As he smiled, so did Donna.

"There's nothing wrong with your upper body," she reminded him, "Lack of sensation below the waist can mean _amazing_ sensations elsewhere, the body's way of compensating..."

Her hand brushed across his chest and he gave a low moan and then laughed softly .

"What _is_ it with you and my nipples?" he said to her.

"You'll find out," she told him softly, and then she slid down, over him, careful not to press her full weight on him because his back was still healing, and as she took his right nipple in her mouth and began to suck gently, she teased the other with her fingertips.

The Doctor gave a sigh as little bolts of pleasure shot up and down his upper body, like her touch was electric. It was highly stimulating, making him feel as if that fire in his mind was about to explode into some kind of mental orgasm that was peaking in his brain.

She swirled her tongue around his other nipple, at the same time gently toying with the one that had been sucked. Now both were swollen and glowing pink from her attention and standing up erect.

Donna paused to look up at him.

"More?"

"Yes please..." he murmured, and then as she continued with the licking and sucking and pausing to tease with her finger tips, he gave a moan of pleasure. She wasn't going to stop, she was going to keep going and he was slowly building up to incredible sensations he had never felt before...

 _This was going somewhere._

 _He didn't know where, but it was going to be amazing..._

The Doctor didn't know how long she had been playing with his chest.

He didn't care about time or anything beyond this bed and this woman who was making him feel amazing - when before, he had thought perhaps he would never know pleasure again.

His nipples felt cold and wet from all the attention, and each time her mouth returned to suck again, that cold was replaced by warmth and a rush of blood that made his swollen nipples tingle with pleasure. He was slightly breathless as a trickle of sweat ran down his face.

 _In his mind, he was coming._

"Donna..." he gasped, "I want to come,...I wish I could come...Oh, I want it _so_ bad!"

Donna's eyes were glazed with desire as she brushed a middle finger to his lips and then slid it into this mouth.

"Wet it properly," she whispered, and her free hand was still pinching at his chest, her finger and thumb squeezing and tugging at a swollen nipple and the shocks that ran through him took him over as he parted his lips and took her finger in his mouth and sucked on it.

"That's enough," she said softly, and drew her wet finger from his mouth. She paused to kiss both nipples again, sucking hard and nipping each one in a way that made him softly moan, and then her hand slipped between his legs.

He gave a gasp as he realised where that finger was going as her hand swept past his balls and then found its way to where she needed to be, teasing his ass gently as she used her wet finger to moisten him nicely. He felt pressure that was slight, and then her finger slipped in, and she pushed it deep, slid it out a fraction, and entered him again, this time her finger tip hitting a magic spot that made him gasp and tremble.

" _Let it happen,Doctor,"_ she whispered, and as she worked on him internally, she kissed his nipples again, pushing her finger deep.

He gave a sharp cry as his body trembled, then as he felt vague waves of pleasure and contractions around her finger, something wet spilled on to his thigh. His hearts were still pounding as she slid her finger out, and then she looked at him as love shone in her eyes.

"I'd better wash my hands."

She kissed his cheek and got up from the bed.

"I'm sorry I wet myself," he said as he looked up at her and his cheeks flushed.

Donna smiled.

"You didn't," she told him, "You just managed to come!"

And then with a smile still on her face, she left the room to wash her hands.

The Doctor looked down between his legs, and it came as a big and wonderful surprise to see his cock had a semi hard on, and that wetness he had felt was white and sticky all over him...

He leaned back against the pillows and smiled.

" _I can come again!"_ he called to her, and his voice was filled with joy.

Donna returned to the room.

"I know," she said as she smiled too, "See? You _can_ do it, even like this, you can still make love."

A wave of emotion hit the Doctor as she joined him again on the bed.

"I know this sounds like a cliché but you really have made me feel like a man again. I thought that side of my life was over, Donna. I'm _so_ glad it's not!"

Then his eyes darkened again.

"Sit on my face. I'll make _you_ come now..."

 _The Doctor's promise had not been an empty one._

* * *

Shortly after he had said those words, she was on her knees, over his face, holding on to the bar that ran between the bed posts as her thighs trembled and he clamped his mouth on her and sucked then stopped and tormented her with teasing licks that he started slowly and then built up until she was on the edge, and just as she begged him for more he stopped again, pulling back, breathing against her swollen flesh.

" _Not yet,"_ he murmured as his mouth brushed against her and the vibration of his words sent a shiver through her body.

Then he sucked again, and she gave a cry as her thighs shook and finally, he let his tongue do the rest, releasing her from her wait, as she came she screamed out loud and trembled hard as she clung to the bed post to steady herself as he slid two fingers halfway inside her, so her pulsating walls had something the wrap around as the climax took hold.

"I'm still inside you," he whispered, "That's me, _in_ you. Feel that?"

" _Yes!"_ she gasped.

Then as her orgasm faded, he slid his fingers out and he gave her a final, intimate kiss on her swollen flesh that made her gasp again, and as she weakly climbed off him and slid down next to him, he brushed her damp hair from her flushed face and looked into her eyes.

"That was quite possibly the most amazing sex I've had in a long time!" he said in surprise, "Wow...that was the best!"

"You're the best," Donna said breathlessly as she rested in his arms, and as she lay with her head on his shoulder and her eyes closed, the Doctor stroked her hair as he held her, and he looked up at the ceiling and started to smile:

So it wasn't the end of the world after all.

He could still make love.

Not in the way he was used to, but it had been good for him, and hearing her scream like that with the power of the orgasm he had given her was enough to make him happy:

 _He wasn't quite so half dead after all – now, he felt complete – the accident hadn't taken everything from him, he knew it for sure, because now he felt like a man again..._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Donna cooked breakfast, brought the Doctor's to his room on a tray and then went off to have a shower and get dressed,and she did it all with lightness in her heart - the day felt so wonderful and full of hope after all they had experienced.

After she had changed into another light dress that was perfect for the warm weather, she added the beads she had bought whilst on her retail therapy shopping trip, and then she put on some make up, stepped back from the mirror and smiled,liking what she saw. Suddenly Donna felt so much more attractive than perhaps she ever had done in her whole life, to know that the Doctor felt so much for her, and desired her so deeply.

That wave of emotion was coming over her again, and this time she let it wash over her, not fighting it, letting all those feelings grow into the glow she still felt from their lovemaking:

 _This was wonderful._

 _Everything was working out just fine..._

* * *

The Doctor had just finished breakfast and had drunk the last of his tea, and then he set the tray aside and thought of Donna and smiled as he felt sure when she walked back into the room, all the love he felt for her would hit him all over again.

Then he drew in a sharp breath as something else hit him:

 _There was a burning sensation in his back._

It felt like fire and little tendrils of it were shooting downwards, flickers of pain that hit his groin and then his legs, and as he cried out he clutched at the sheets, breaking out in a cold sweat as a wave of nausea washed over him.

Dizziness swamped him and suddenly Donna was in the room, her face was pale and she looked at him in alarm.

" _Help me..."_ he gasped, clutching at the sheets again as more pain made its fiery trail through his lower body.

Donna went over to the storage cupboard and felt shocked at just how much her hands shook as she tore open a pre loaded syringe.

"It's just the nerve endings repairing..." she grabbed a bottle and some cotton wool and went over to his bedside, setting everything down carefully next to the bed.

"Doctor, it's the healing process. We knew this would be painful."

The Doctor's face was shining with sweat.

"Not _this_ painful!" he exclaimed as pain registered on his face again and his body stiffened as he tried to fight it.

He was shaking as she turned his arm over.

"Hold still," Donna said calmly, and she was glad her fear didn't show now her own trembles were over, because now they were so much closer, sticking a needle in him was the last thing she wanted to do - but she had no choice because he was in terrible pain.

The Doctor closed his eyes, obeying as he heard Donna tell him to breathe slowly. He felt a cold alcohol swab against his skin, and then a needle bit deep. He opened his eyes as the last of the drug was injected, and then he saw the needle come out again. Donna was quick to dress the puncture wound, and by the time she had finished, the pain was drifting away.

"Thanks," he said weakly, "Oh, that was bad...I was _shocked_ by how bad that felt!"

Donna stroked his hair and paused to kiss his cheek.

"All over now," she said kindly, and then she disposed of the needle and returned to his bedside ad sat down.

"You'll feel more than fine in around fifteen minutes," she told him, "I don't know how long it will take to wear off on a Timelord. Do you know?"

He thought about it.

"I've had it before...it lasts a couple of hours... maybe more if I sleep. But I can't be sure, because it wasn't for an injury like this one. How long will I have to go through this?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know, like I said before, a lot of my calculations are guess work. But the pain kicking in is a good sign – that filler in your spinal cord must be working."

The Doctor lay back against his pillows and gave a weary sigh.

"As soon as that stuff is absorbed, I'm back in the Tardis, I need to be there. Then I can sleep in my own bed and let my own healing take over."

He paused for thought, and then he frowned.

"I hope you were wrong about six weeks...I can't take six weeks of _this_!"

"It's low dose," she reminded him, "And I won't let you take it any longer than you need to. Don't worry. I won't turn you into a junkie."

The morphine was starting to make him feel sleepy and clearing away his worries as the drug settled into his bloodstream.

"Now I'm feeling _too_ good..."

"You need to rest," she said to him, "That pain was bad. It's worn you out."

He murmured something she didn't catch as he slipped it a deep sleep, and then Donna remained at his bedside, watching over him as the Timelord slept deeply, his pain forgotten for as long as the morphine allowed.

* * *

The Doctor had been asleep for more than an hour when Donna got up from his bedside, picked up her phone and went through to the front room.

Then she sat down on the sofa and called home.

It was the call she had been avoiding for days now, but given his sudden change in condition, it seemed to make sense this call was made and got out of the way, no matter how it tugged at her heart to do so.

The phone rang for a while and then as it was answered and she heard her Grandfather's voice, Donna blinked away tears as the thought struck her that home was such an awful _long_ distance away right now...

"Gramps?" she said, "I just needed to call home. I don't want anyone to worry but -"

"Oh no, is it the Doctor?" he said, "What's he got up to now?"

Donna paused, blinking away tears as she recalled the crash.

"No trouble," she said tearfully, "But there was an accident..."

As she gave a sob, he paused, and then he spoke gently to her.

"Tell me what's happened, Donna, love."

 _And so she did._

Wilf listened to all his granddaughter had to say, and then he spoke up again:

"Well I suppose it's for the best if you stay with him. He's in good hands, I couldn't think of anyone better to look after him! I remember how you looked after your mother when she was ill – and how you nursed your Dad and your Gran when they were dying. You're wasted on office work, you know! I'll always say you should have gone back to nursing."

"Well I haven't forgotten anything I learned back then," she said, keeping her voice quiet as she remembered the Doctor was sleeping, "And we've got a nice place to stay on a planet that's a holiday resort. It's an earth colony planet. The people are nice - but I can't say much for their _caring_ attitude when it comes to their medical profession. The Doctor seems to be getting better, but it could take a long time. It might not, but right now I just don't know."

"And you're doing the right thing staying with him," he told her, "You're a good girl, Donna. I'm sure he appreciates everything you're doing for him."

Her tears had dried up now, and she smiled on hearing him say that.

"He does. And things have changed. We're sort of... _together_ now, too."

"Really? That's good news...but I won't say a word to your mother... not yet. Listen Donna, your mother's calling to me – said dinner's on the table. I'd better go. I'll tell her...oh, _something_ , don't worry. And say hello to the Doctor and wish him well from me, okay?"

"Okay, Bye, Gramps."

"Bye Donna, you take care, love."

The call ended.

And Donna put the phone down on the table, gave a sigh and for once didn't want to look out of the window to the blue skies because then she would think beyond it, and how far away home actually was... Then she pushed those thoughts aside, thinking instead of the Doctor:

She had made her choice, and she knew in her heart it was the right one – there could have been no other. She was staying with him for as long as it took, whether it took a week, a month, a year or forever...In fact, after how their relationship had changed, she felt sure she would be with him forever. And if that meant forever with a Timelord who could not longer fly his Tardis, phone calls home were better than nothing...

* * *

The Doctor slept for just over three hours.

When he dragged his eyes open he still felt drowsy, but that feeling was rapidly leaving him. He remembered why at once:

Oh yes, the morphine shots were low dose.

"Well done Donna," he murmured, "Low dose...less chance of getting me hooked if I need it long term..."

"And you won't."

He blinked, feeling more awake now and saw Donna was at his bedside.

"I made you some tea," she said to him, indicating to the steaming mug beside the bed, "Don't try and drink it yet, you look a bit sleepy. I'll help you sit up in a minute. Do you need to go?"

"Go?" he wondered.

"Are you about to spring a leak?" she asked, and he smiled as he shook his head.

"No, I'm nowhere near that, thanks. I'd feel it."

Then as fondness reflected in his eyes, he took hold of her hand, turning his head slowly against the softness of the pillow as he met her gaze.

"What happened between us was amazing. I mean it, Donna. And it's not just that...during my travels I've spent years alone, many sometimes. Sex was _never_ constantly on my mind...not like it is with some men...but when I found out I was paralysed, when I thought that side of my life could be over forever, well, at least for the rest of _this_ life...I felt like I was grieving for a part of me I could never get back. Like I didn't know what I'd lost until it was gone. But I don't feel that way any more. I feel complete again, even though I'm not back on my feet yet. I never knew how much I appreciated the all things I could do until half of me was numb. It's really made me think."

He fell silent.

"Don't over think it," Donna said to him, "You're going to get better, just keep thinking about _that_ instead."

Then the troubled look was gone from his eyes and he smiled again as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"You know what really brought me back out of despair? It wasn't even being able to come. It was knowing I could make _you_ come. When I heard you scream like that..." he breathed a sigh at the memory, "Oh, that was amazing...I can make the woman I love climax, I can make her scream with pleasure... I think that's done me more good than the morphine!"

Donna smiled.

"Well that's okay then – next time you're in pain I'll just drop my knickers, shall I?"

The Doctor laughed softly. He blinked lazily and gave a sigh.

"I think we'd better stick with the morphine...I'm still sleepy."

"Good, you need to rest. Go back to sleep - and don't worry about the pain, as soon as it starts to come back, I'll give you another shot. You're coping really well, it's been more than three hours."

"I'll see if I can manage three more," he said, and then he closed his eyes.

As his hand slipped from her grip, Donna paused to sweep his hair out of his eyes, and then she kissed his cheek, and left him to sleep.

* * *

Donna spent a couple of uneventful hours trying to keep busy, she prepared a chicken salad that she then put in the fridge, then she watched some TV and couldn't really get into anything no matter how many thousands of channels she had to choose from, because she was thinking of the Doctor.

Then she left the house and walked down to the beach, took in some fresh air and watched as the waves rolled to shore. The sigh of the tide and the salt in the air reminded her of family holidays when she was young, and it made her smile.

Then she thought again of home and how far away she was and felt a tug on her heart, but she recalled her grandfather's advice, and that tug turned to a warmth that could only come from the strength of a family bond:

Gramps was right, she _did_ belong here, or where ever else the Doctor went. She would always be at his side, through the good and the bad, and being here with the Doctor when he needed her most was absolutely the right thing to do...

She turned away from the surf as the breeze blew back her fiery hair, and then Donna walked back towards the house, feeling at peace with life.

* * *

The Doctor woke from his second deep sleep with a sharp jolt.

As he dragged in a breath and the pain in his lower back began to feel like a white hot knife slicing into his spine, his hearts began to race.

" _DONNA!"_

As he yelled her name again his voice rose an octave in panic as he struggled to pull himself up against the pillows, and then he remembered he couldn't walk yet, he had _no_ chance of reaching the place where the needles were stored...

A cold, sick feeling swept over him as the pain in his back flickered about his groin and legs. He could feel it so sharply he was afraid to close his eyes and imagine those nerve endings joining back together...

" _Donna!"_ he screamed again.

She ran into the bedroom to see the Doctor bathed in sweat and shaking, his face was pale and his pupils were like pinpricks.

" _It's killing me!"_

One look at him told her that statement was no exaggeration.

"Two seconds!"

The Doctor was lost in a narrow tunnel of vision where the pain was his world and Donna and the loaded needle were far away. He felt his arm pinned down and then swabbed, then the needle stung his flesh and the injection burned. And then the pain was retreating, enough to allow him to breathe. He was still shaking as he closed his eyes, trying to wish himself away from this bed and this pain and into somewhere safe.

" _It's okay."_

Donna was stroking his hair. The feel of her touch and the sound of her voice brought him back to her. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"It was worse this time."

Donna was bathing away his sweat with a cool sponge. As she bathed his face, then his chest, the fire that had scorched his insides seemed to shrink away with it, although he was sure he actually had the morphine to thank for that.

"Doctor?"

She spoke twice before he focused on her, and then he noticed she looked scared, as scared as he had been when he pain had hit with a vengeance.

"I can cope now," he said weakly, "It's still there but far away...far, a _long_ way from me now... thanks, Donna."

"I'm sorry you had to wait, I was outside on the beach, I was only two minutes away..."

 _"It's okay, Donna, don't worry..."_ he murmured, and then sleep claimed him once more.

Donna checked his pulse, then she folded the covers to his waist and opened up a window to let in some air because the room seemed a little too hot. When all of this was done, she watched over him for a while, just to be sure the pain really had ended, but the Doctor slept on deeply and now no pain or discomfort disturbed his rest.

* * *

Donna finally left his side and walked down the hallway and went into the front room, where she sat alone on the sofa and quietly shed the tears she had not wanted him to see:

She had turned her back for such a short time, and _this_ had happened...

Donna knew she had no need to blame herself, but she did, and she needed to cry, because while she had not expected this to be easy, she had not expected to have moments as hard as this, either...

" _I'm sorry, Doctor,"_ she whispered as she sat alone as outside the world turned down to a shade of dusk, _"I won't leave you again, not while you're like this, I promise..."_

And then she fell silent, alone with her fears, as she thought on the fact that he had said the pain was still there, albeit far away:

 _The morphine had blocked it the first time._

 _Not so this time, not quite..._

That could mean the human pain relief was failing because it wasn't enough for his alien body. She could not imagine how he would cope if the morphine treatment failed:

 _How could he get through deep pain like that with no analgesia?_

 _How could he survive something like that?_

 _It was a thought that terrified her..._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Doctor woke early the next morning as the sun was starting to break through a sky still shaded by the last gasp of night. Donna was asleep beside him, and he looked at her, thinking how she would never know how beautiful she was at that moment as she lay there with the first rays of morning light igniting so many shades of fire in her hair.

He wanted to kiss her, but it didn't seem fair to run the risk of waking her after all they had both been through the day before. He cautiously moved,and it came as a rather wonderful surprise that he could feel both his legs.

 _He could feel everything, and he could move, too..._

His legs felt far too weak to walk, but he was sure he could get to his chair and then take himself to the bathroom. The Doctor sat up and reached for his wheelchair, and at that moment,all thoughts of failure and hopelessness seemed to evaporate:

 _This wasn't so scary any more, he was winning the fight..._

* * *

Donna had been sleeping deeply, and she woke to the sound of the Doctor's voice.

" _Good Morning, Donna."_

She opened her eyes slowly, leaving a sleep that had been restful and deep. But suddenly she was wide awake, sitting up sharply as she stared at the Doctor:

He was in a dressing gown, in his chair, he had shaved and washed and even styled his hair, making it look as fantastic as ever.

" _You got up?"_

He smiled.

"It was a challenge but you know me – I don't back down from these things. I made you some tea."

Donna looked to the steaming mug next to the bed that wasn't quite as full as she expected it to be - of course not, he was probably worried about spilling it and burning himself...

"Oh Doctor, you shouldn't have done all this by yourself!"

"Why not? I woke up and found my legs have come back – well, I can _feel_ them again. I can't walk but I can just about stand with support. I've been doing a lot of leaning on stuff, but I got there."

And his eyes sparkled as he smiled again.

"See? I'm getting better!"

"What about the pain?" she asked cautiously.

"Gone."

" _For now."_

He gave a sigh.

"Oh stop it, Donna! I've turned a corner, I'm improving. Stop worrying so much! I reckon your calculations were right, maybe I will be fully recovered in a few weeks. Maybe less, at the rate I'm going!"

"You're sure there's no pain?"

" _I'm fine!"_

Donna got up, sitting on the edge of the bed as she sipped her tea. Then she put it down again and looked at the Doctor as emotion filled her eyes.

"You shouldn't be fussing over me, you've been ill!"

"And now it's my turn to repay the favour and do something for you."

"No, I want you back in bed. I'm worried about you. Yesterday was rough."

"And today is a _good_ day!" the Doctor exclaimed, and then he turned his chair and went over to the wardrobe and opened it, reached for his suit and failed to reach to lift the hanger from the rail.

"Donna," he said as he glanced back at her, "Could you help me?"

She got up and smiled as their eyes met.

"Of course I will!"

"And by the way," the Doctor added as his gaze wandered over her body, "You look great naked."

* * *

A short while later, the Doctor was dressed in a brown suit and his long coat, which he insisted on keeping open, because the weather was warm and Donna didn't seem to understand he didn't need to be wrapped up so carefully.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked nervously as he carefully worked the controls and moved the chair down the short slope towards the sand.

"I just want a few minutes outside. There's no harm in it, Donna!"

As they reached the end of the slope and the Doctor breathed in the salt air and the breeze ruffled his hair and he took in the scent of the ocean, he felt revived.

"I _love_ it out here!" he exclaimed, "Won't be long before I'm out of this chair, then you and me can walk along this shore together."

And he looked up at her, and wondered why her eyes were so clouded with worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

Donna put her hand on his shoulder as she stood beside his wheelchair, paused to watch the place where the sea seemed to meet with sky, and then she looked down at him.

"The morphine didn't work properly last night. You said you could still feel the pain."

"But it was bearable."

"You said morphine has worked well for you before -"

"Under other circumstances, _not_ when dealing with an injury like this - and with an artificial substance in my body working to reconnect nerve endings. I suppose it would work differently this time, it's a different situation."

"But it worked the first time. What if the next shot doesn't work at all?"

The Doctor's gaze darkened as he thought on the possibility.

"Maybe I won't have any more pain."

"You can't walk yet. How can you say it won't happen again?"

He leant back against the padding on the chair, studied the calm water for a moment and then looked up at Donna.

"Please stop thinking the worst. I was just getting back to somewhere I could call a happy place, and I'd rather stay there. I'm getting my independence back, I can even stand up now! I'd rather focus on that than the maybes... You told me to think positive, maybe you should take your own advice. Don't be scared for me Donna, the worst is over."

"I hope so," she said quietly, and he reached up to his shoulder, covering her hand in a gentle grip.

"It's going to work out fine," he told her, "Really, it will."

Donna kept her worries to herself as she smiled and then leaned over him, as together they shared a kiss as the waves rolled to shore, the tide filling the air with its soothing sigh.

As they broke off from that kiss, she saw desire burning in his eyes.

"I almost got a hard on. A few more kisses like those and I might surprise you," the Doctor said.

Gentle understanding reflected in Donna's eyes.

"There's no rush," she reminded him, "It's worth waiting for."

Then the Doctor turned his chair around and they headed back towards the house, a decision he made purely to set her mind at ease.

* * *

"You're right, this is a comfortable sofa!" the Doctor said as he rested against it, enjoying the fact that he was out of the chair and sitting on the sofa, giving him a feeling of _almost_ normality.

On returning to the house, Donna had helped him to take off his coat, then he had taken off his jacket and tie and opened up the buttons on his shirt. It had felt good to get dressed for a while, but now he just wanted to take everything off again and relax. She watched as he tried to kick off his shoes, and then as his weak legs failed to manage enough movement, she got on her knees in front of him and started to untie his laces.

"I wanted to do that myself!" he complained.

"You will next time," Donna replied, and as she slipped off his shoes, the Doctor drew in a sharp breath as he felt an ache flicker down his legs.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, just an ache..both legs...it's gone now. Oh no,no _no_ I don't want _this_ again!"

The Doctor leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes as he tried to breathe through the discomfort of a flickering pain that lingered, then he put his hand to the left side of his groin as he waited for the pain to fade.

"I hate this," he said, taking a breath that he controlled as he managed the pain, "It's not easing up...what a place to have a lingering pain!"

"I'll take a look," Donna said to him.

The Doctor would have loved the idea of Donna undressing him a few moments before when the pain had just been a memory, but now as she did it, he just felt thankful she was there to help him.

Once he was undressed and lying back on the sofa, she put her hand on the site of the pain and pressed down carefully.

"How does that feel?"

"Like a cramp that won't ease up."

He was thankful for the softness of the sofa and the cushion behind his head, even with an ache in such a difficult place. Donna began to gently rub at the side of his groin, and as he gave a sigh of relief she knew the gentle massage was working.

"Any better?"

His eyes were closed now and there was a faint smile on his face.

"That's lovely...keep going."

She opened his legs a little wider and placed the fingertips of both hands in his pubic hair and started to gently massage, moving in soft circles, hearing him sigh as he relaxed and the pain began to ease up. His cock was also semi hard, and she looked up at him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I can tell you're enjoying this...almost there."

The Doctor raised his head and looked down.

"I know, it's a great feeling. Maybe..." he paused,wondering if it was too soon.

"Maybe what?" Donna asked as she continued to massage his groin.

"Maybe it might help if you su – no, forget it, I know it's too soon."

Donna ran her fingertips down the length of his semi erection, and noticed no response apart from the way he caught his breath at her touch.

"It probably is too soon," she told him, "Has the pain gone?"

" _No."_

He sounded bitterly disappointed.

She applied more massage, and then as another flicker of pain throbbed in his groin, he reached down, gently pushing her away.

"It is starting to help a bit, but it pulls on the hair down there and sets off more pain. It's like I'm so sensitive to discomfort I can't even take the hair being pulled on when that ache comes up."

Donna met his gaze.

" _There's a way to solve that,"_ she told him, hoping the Doctor wouldn't mind what she was about to suggest...

* * *

A short while later, the Doctor was in the bedroom on the bed with the covers back, still semi hard because Donna shaving off his pubic hair had been a surprisingly erotic experience. Now as the cool breeze came in through the window it seemed to slide like silk over his bare exposed groin, and as she rubbed some cream into the soft flesh, he closed his eyes, enjoying the new sensation as her fingertips glided over skin that felt smooth as glass.

"Is that any better?" she asked.

"Oh yes, that feels amazing..."

"I meant, is it helping with the _pain_ , Doctor?"

He opened his eyes, looking down at the sight of Donna's soft fingertips on his bare flesh, and tried to ignore the wave of erotic joy that washed over him because the pain flickered again, and caused his eyes to cloud with worry.

"It's still hurting. The massage _is_ helping, I'm not just saying that because it feels nice, it really is working to soothe it...but the pain hasn't gone."

"Is it getting worse?"

"No."

"Are you sure you don't need a shot?"

"No thank you Donna, I'd much rather take your soft touch than a needle!"

The Doctor smiled nervously, then as her hand slid gently over his inner thighs and back over his bare groin,he gave a murmur of contentment, followed by a brief moment when discomfort registered on his face as she rubbed against flesh where beneath, pain flickered like a lit match.

"Are you sure that's all you need?" she asked him.

Their eyes met. His gaze lingered on her.

"Very sure. And I think I might be ready for a more _personal_ approach to this, what do you think, nurse?"

He had spoken those words with a smile about his lips, and then winked.

"I think that could be worth a try," she agreed, already growing slightly breathless at the thought of taking him in her mouth for the first time. It wasn't as if she hadn't already thought about doing that, of course she had, she wanted to but until now, he had not seemed ready to try...

Donna slid her fingertips over his bare flesh as she took hold of him, and then she leaned closer and as she took him in her mouth, he softly caught his breath.

It had been a long while since he had enjoyed oral sex, and now, after almost losing the ability to function sexually, it meant so much more to him to even have half the sensation of pleasure back as she started to suck on him. Donna did it lovingly, slowly and gently, sliding her lips up and down the length of him with tenderness as she kept cautious fingertips on the aching side of his groin, still applying gentle massage to make the ache beneath his flesh easier to bear.

He reached down and ran his fingers through her hair, watching as sunlight caught on the red and amber shimmer that seemed to light her up and make her even more beautiful, just like those feelings that were slowly waking up as he felt himself grow a little harder in her mouth.

This was what he had thought about and yearned for when his broken body had been too weak to respond, this was what he had imagined, and although he knew he wasn't yet nearly as hard as used to get, he was hard enough, and that meant things were mending.

 _It also meant he was coming._

He tightened his grip on her hair as he drew in a sharp breath and let her take over, her mouth was controlling him and as he let the pleasure wash through him he gave a gasp and said her name just before the power of the orgasm snatched away his breath and the intensity of it took him over.

She was gently sucking and swallowing, drawing out every last drop of his climax - and doing it so tenderly that as he whispered that he loved her he wondered if she had heard him because the orgasm had temporarily left him weak - but then she released him, told him that she loved him too, and those words were whispered against his sensitive shaved skin and the kiss she planted there felt like a raw heat that made him shiver as an echo of the bliss he had just enjoyed slowly faded out.

Then she was up close to him, she swept his hair out of his eyes and kissed his cheek.

"Time you went back to sleep," she said, "You need some rest."

"I _am_ resting!" he told her.

"I mean, _proper_ bed rest. You need to take it easy."

"Okay nurse, whatever you say," he replied reluctantly.

* * *

After Donna had made the Doctor comfortable in bed she sat beside him, determined to watch over him to make sure the pain that had hit the day before didn't come back. Although there was no way of being sure of anything, she knew that staying close to him would be the best option until she could be sure the chronic pain was over.

"You don't have to watch over me so closely," the Doctor said to her as he rested against pillows and looked at her fondly, "I'm fine, Donna. I'm recovering. Look at what we just did – I couldn't have done that a few days ago, back then I thought I was dead from the waist down forever! Now I can stand, I can move...I'll be walking next! Then I won't need a nurse any more..."

He paused, and then he laughed, "This might sound odd but I'm starting to _like_ this – you taking care of me. Especially when it ends the way it did today. I wonder if those vague aches in my groin will ever completely go away...I wouldn't be too concerned if they didn't, not if you cured me like _that_ every time!"

Donna smiled.

"Funny thing is, I was thinking the same thing – I love looking after you."

"Are you saying you had a fetish so you turned me a bit kinky too?" the Doctor teased.

"No I did not!" Donna exclaimed,and as her face flushed, the Doctor's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Well, I think you have," he added, "I'm almost sorry I'm getting better!"

She giggled.

"We could always pretend sometimes... and you're not better yet, I've still got plenty of excuses to give you some _special treatment_."

The Doctor's smile faded as his eyes darkened with desire that he didn't dare to follow up on because now, he really _was_ feeling tired.

"We don't need an excuse to have fun," he promised her, and then his hand closed over hers, and he gave into tiredness and slipped into a deep sleep.

Donna watched him as he slept, feeling hopeful that everything was turning around now.

He was getting better.

It seemed they finally had better times to look forward to...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The improvement in the Doctor's condition seemed to be holding up. He slept deeply for a couple of hours and then called to her and it was a relief to hear his voice sounding happy instead of filled with fear. Donna went into the bedroom with a smile on her face, and as she looked at him she felt sure she was right: He was definitely improving - and much faster than she had expected.

"I want to get up again. I want to go for a drive in the car."

"Are you sure -"

"Yes, Donna, of _course_ I am! I reckon in a couple of days I'll be well enough to go back to the Tardis – and then, we are leaving!"

Her eyes widened.

"Leaving? I think you're rushing this a bit!"

"No I'm not," he replied, and as much as she loved him, this up mood he was in – although _so_ much better than his down ones – was starting to worry her. He was hoping for too much, too soon. It was as if the pain he had suffered had been forgotten now it was absent - her warnings about the morphine failing had passed him by.

"You wait till I'm back in the Tardis," he said to her, "A few hours sleep and I'll be good as new! That's all I need – to get rid of this artificial substance in my spine, then I can heal the rest by myself."

"And you're not ready for that yet."

Such worry reflected in his eyes that as he sat up in bed, he held his arms out to her, and Donna sat beside him, welcoming his embrace.

"Stop it," he said as he held her and stroked her hair, "Stop worrying. I'll be fine."

Donna shifted out of his embrace once more.

"It should be me looking after you, not the other way around!"

"Don't we all need reassurance sometimes?" the Doctor replied.

"Okay," Donna said to him, "Let's do it your way – we'll go for that drive. I'll just find my car keys..."

She stood up and paused, thinking for a moment.

"Where did I leave them? In the kitchen or in my bag?"

"In the car?" the Doctor suggested.

"I hope not!" Donna exclaimed, "That thing automatically locks when I shut the doors!"

Then she left the room.

* * *

The Doctor decided to get himself out of bed and head for the bathroom, because he could, and because Donna had done more than enough to take care of him. Now it was time to take the pressure off her, because he knew it was only fair to do that...

He reached for his chair.

And the burning pain that flared up deep in his lower back hit with force, with no warning, and snatched the air from his lungs, choking off his cry for help. The Doctor fell hard to the floor, breaking out in a sweat as he fought against pain that now felt like a burning blade twisting in his lower spine.

He drew in a breath and used all of his strength to call for help.

" _Donna!"_ he yelled, and then he lay there, on his side, panting for air as his body shone with cold sweat and the pain refused to let up.

The Doctor was barely conscious by the time he became aware that Donna was kneeling beside him. She had turned him on to his back and was checking his pulse, then she spoke again and he weakly answered her.

" _Can't move...pain..it's killing me!"_

"I just gave you a shot of morphine," she said,and from where he lay, he looked beside her and saw the discarded needle.

" _It's not working!"_

He was on the brink of tears and she saw terror in his eyes, terror at the thought of suffering this pain with nothing to hold it back.

"I'll have to take you back to the hospital," she told him, "I can't give you anything else, there is nothing else..."

" _Make this stop..."_ he said breathlessly, _"Help me, Donna..."_ and then he lost consciousness.

Donna grabbed the phone and the number she had saved in case of emergency, and made a call, requesting urgent paramedic assistance.

* * *

Everything that followed made her dreams of a happy ending come crashing down. The Doctor had been rushed to the hospital, with Donna in the back of the paramedic's vehicle, watching anxiously as they worked on him and she reeled off a list of his allergies, and tried to bridge the gap of understanding between their time and place and hers as she got across all the information she could provide medically, despite the fact that she feared the man she loved was dying, and that made pulling out her medical knowledge so much harder.

On arriving, he had been rushed to the emergency room, and she had clashed again with the medic who had first treated him after the shuttle crash.

" _Don't you do anything to him without his permission!"_ Donna had said fiercely, and then the Doctor had drawn on some oxygen and weakly opened his eyes, tried to focus on Donna and whispered a few words, enough to diffuse the situation:

" _Let them take it out. It's killing me..."_

"Take it out?" Donna exclaimed.

The Doctor had reached for her hand but it slipped from her grip as he passed out again. He was breathing hard through the oxygen mask that covered his face and sweat was dampening his hair.

"You can't do that to him!" Donna said as she looked to the medic, "He was getting better! If you take the filler out of his spine he will be paralysed for the rest of his days!"

"And the filler was designed for human use and has marginally improved his condition - but the amount that remains has to be removed because its proving incompatible!" the medic said sharply, "Now please leave the room, Miss Noble – he will _die_ without treatment!"

Donna leant over the Doctor, brushed his sweat dampened hair off his face and kissed his brow.

" _Keep fighting, Doctor,"_ she whispered, and then she hurried from the room as tears burned at her eyes.

* * *

The procedure was over much faster than Donna had expected. Just over two hours after she had been asked to leave the room, a nurse came to fetch her to tell her the Doctor was out of surgery. He was weak, and they could not offer her any reassurance of a recovery, but for now, he was alive, and she was advised to consider what would be for the best – to take him home, or let him remain at the facility.

Donna gave her answer right away, knowing where the Doctor would prefer to be:

" _I want him home,"_ she said, _"If he's dying, I know that's where he would want to go."_

Then she had been taken to his room, where he was resting in sheets as pale as his washed out complexion, there was in IV attached to his arm, but nothing else to hold him up. She had already learned how this planet dealt with their sick – and she didn't need to ask any more questions - there was nothing more that could be done, and so she would be having him brought home...

The nurse left the room, and Donna sat next to the Doctor's bed watching him sleep, and that sleep seemed so deep she was afraid he might never wake, but then as he became aware of her hand in his, he gripped it weakly and opened his eyes.

"Doctor?" she said softly,"They did it. They took out the last of the filler. I don't know what that means for you now, but it's gone, they stopped the reaction. They also said there's nothing more they can do for you. They've given up, because they don't know how to treat you."

The Doctor's grip on her hand strengthened as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm not invincible, Donna," he murmured, "But I know where I need to be. Take me home..."

Donna's eyes glazed with tears as she thought of how hard he had fought to come back from this. It was so unfair, she had not expected this to happen, not when everything had started to turn out okay...

"I thought you were going to be alright," she said tearfully.

" _Take me home,"_ he whispered again, _"Take me back to the Tardis."_

And then he closed his eyes, as deep exhaustion claimed him once more and then he slipped into a heavy sleep.

* * *

By nightfall, the Doctor had been transferred back to the beach house, and was now back in the Tardis, in his own bed, he was no longer connected to the IV and the medics who had transported him had left, leaving Donna alone as she stood there watching the Timelord sleep, feeling powerless to help him.

She had tried bathing him to clean away his sweat hoping it would stir him, then she had talked to him softly, but nothing woke him. At least he didn't seem to be in pain any more...

 _That was the only consolation she had._

Donna walked along the Tardis corridor, came to the bathroom and went inside, then she stripped off her clothing, got under the shower and sobbed as hard as she would allow herself, because with the water running, and the distance between their rooms, at least if he woke, the Doctor would not hear her sobbing. And she needed to cry, because she feared the end was close now...

After her shower she got changed and then looked in on the Doctor. He had tossed and turned restlessly and the way he was sprawled about the bed left no room for her to climb up beside him without waking him, so she went to the room next door, the room that had been hers before, in the days before the accident and the changes that had brought the two of them together.

As Donna laid on her bed, more tears stung at her eyes, but this time it was caused by anger and frustration as she thought about how hard he had fought, and how hard she had tried to help him. She didn't want to face the fact that the fight was over...

 _But she was exhausted._

She promised herself, just an hour, that was all she needed, and then she closed her eyes, but Donna Noble's sleep lasted much longer than that, she slept the whole night, and while she slept, she had no clue _exactly_ what had happened to the Doctor in the next room...

* * *

Donna woke from a long, deep sleep as she heard the bedroom door open.

" _Morning, beautiful,"_ the Doctor said.

Donna sat up, blinking away all trace of the sleep that had stolen away so many hours. Then she stared in surprise at the sight of the Doctor, in his suit and his long coat, standing in the door way, and he looked fantastic...

" _You're...You're..."_

She couldn't get the words out.

"Yes, I'm okay now. I'm better than okay, I feel _amazing_!"

And he walked over to the bed, sat down and smiled at her.

"I told you I'd be okay if I had some time in the Tardis! That was all I needed, some healing time – minus that substance in my back. My body was fighting against it in the end, it's a good thing they took it out. I was able to heal the rest of it overnight."

" _Overnight?"_

Donna stood up and looked at him in surprise.

It was still sinking in that yes, he _was_ healed, in the way he said he would be – the Doctor was absolutely fine now...

Donna burst into tears.

The Doctor caught her as she crumbled against him, clinging to him as she pressed her face against his coat and sobbed out of sheer relief.

"It's okay," he promised her as he held her, "Stop it, Donna, don't cry. I've been up for a while - I went out and I got you something in town."

The change of subject gave her room to pull back on her emotions and she stopped crying, let go of him and wiped her eyes.

"I can't believe it! You're better, you're really better!"

He drew a long, narrow box from his pocket.

"I got this for you, to say thank you for taking care of me. It's also to say I love you, and to remind you that you're the most special person I've ever known, and I want you to be around for a very long time. I want us to be together forever."

She met his gaze and saw sincerity reflected there.

Then he handed her the box.

She opened it and caught her breath at the sight of the diamond bracelet set within it.

"Oh no, this must have cost..."

"A couple of million," he confirmed, "And I've yet to find a necklace to compliment it, but I will, just not on this planet. I want to see you naked wearing nothing but diamonds. _Diamonds for my diamond girl. I love you, Donna Noble._ "

He took the bracelet from the box and fastened it about her wrist, and she watched as the glow of the Tardis lighting made the precious stones sparkle in a way that was hypnotic and dazzling.

"No one has ever given me anything so beautiful," she said in a hushed voice.

"Get used to it," the Doctor replied, "Because I'm the one who will always remind you how amazing you are, and how much you deserve to be reminded of it every single day. I couldn't have got through this without you."

Then he pulled her close and kissed her deeply, and then the newly recovered Timelord gave her a gentle push and she fell back on the bed, and then he stood over her as he freed his erection, and moments later after more embraces and deep kisses, he made love to her with passion that left them both breathless and glowing with contentment.

* * *

After they had recovered from their reunion, they wasted no time leaving the planet behind, packing up what little they wanted to take with them, and then they had returned to the Tardis and the Doctor had activated the controls, and the Tardis had shifted time and dimension and was instantly floating peacefully up in space once more.

As the Doctor stood at the console deep in thought, Donna noticed his thoughtful mood at once.

"What's on your mind?" she asked him.

"I was just thinking," the Doctor replied, "That maybe it's best if we don't talk about the shuttle crash again. Don't bring the subject up, _ever._ I don't want to remember what I went through."

Donna wasn't sure where this was going.

"Why would we bring it up again?"

"You know, when I get _those pains._.." As he spoke, he looked at her and winked, and briefly touched the right side of his groin.

"I thought that had stopped hurting?"

"It has. But I just thought, if we wanted to pretend it hadn't stopped, I'd prefer a different back story, just to make it _real_...I do love the way you treat my aches and pains..."

Donna started to smile.

"Oh, you want to _pretend!_ "

"Yes!" he said enthusiastically, "I can pretend I've got this pain and you can take me off somewhere to erm... _deal with it for me_..." he said, and then he snapped his fingers.

"I've got a good one... it didn't happen in the shuttle crash...it's an old battle scar...from when I was injured in the Time War! And sometimes it hurts...and I need you to help me out with it...We could play that game, say that stuff, anywhere! Even in front of other people, they'd never know it was a lie!"

He sounded thrilled.

Donna laughed.

"Okay, Doctor but I draw the line at sucking you off in front of other people!"

"I wasn't suggesting that... _ouch_..."

He pressed his hand to the right side of his groin, turning from the console as he leaned against it and faced Donna.

"That _war wound_ of mine seems to be playing up already...could you help me out, Donna?"

He had sounded so convincing.

Donna giggled. She stepped closer, so close their lips were almost touching as she looked into his eyes.

"My pleasure, Doctor," she said as her eyes darkened with desire.

Then they shared a kiss, it was brief, and then Donna slid to her knees, and just as she freed his erection and took it lovingly into her mouth, the Doctor closed his eyes and gave a sigh as her mouth worked its magic on his now recovered body. He slid his hand to the back of her head and murmured words of thanks and encouragement as she continued to take him closer to paradise, and just before he gave in and had the first of what would be many wonderful orgasms, he silently decided, this wasn't good enough for a girl like Donna.

 _There had to be more, because he was like that._

He was over nine hundred years old,and a gentleman, too. It wasn't right to him that he could have her like this, sucking his cock and playing games like this when ever he wanted, he wanted more with her. And he would have more with her when they got back to Earth, he would ask her to marry him, because he loved her, because he was an old fashioned gentleman and most of all, because he knew he would never find another like her.

That was his final thought before the bliss washed over him and he lost control and gave into the orgasm:

 _He was going to marry her, because no one had ever made him feel as happy as she did. Donna Noble was a keeper. She was one. There could ever be another quite like her, not ever..._

The End


End file.
